The telecom regulator BTRC will hold an auction for 3G mobile services only after renewing 2G licenses of the mobile phone operators. The regulatory body's chairman Zia Ahmed made the disclosure to the media Thursday saying they will sell the new service system to bring the country's telecommunication system to a new height.

He urged the lawyers to resolve the court matter over the renewal process of 2G licenses for the mobile operators at the earliest. Then BTRC will hold an auction for 3G licenses," he said.

According to the draft guideline on 3G licence, which BTRC submitted to the telecom ministry on Mar 28, an auction is supposed to be held on Sep 3 to sell the licences.

Asked whether the mess over 2G licence renewal would be cleared before that, chief Ahmed said, "The BTRC lawyers have said the matter will be presented before the court next week and it will be resolved very soon."

Meanwhile, Grameenphone CEO Tore Johnsen on Tuesday had told a media conference that Grameenphone was not thinking about 3G licence until its 2G licence was renewed. "It is not that we are not interested in 3G but 2G is our first priority."

2G licences of four mobile-phone operators - Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Citycell - expired in November last year. Even the High Court had been moved over a feud between the operators and BTRC on the licensing issue, which is yet to be settled.